The upper third of wage-earners are the absolute least likely to miss Medicare for the four- to six-year extension I'd favor. The middle third would suffer minimally for the two- to three-years they'd have to further wait.

The low third of wage earners is the class that relies on Medicare when they get old, and feel it the most as they are gradually charged more by insurance companies as they age.

Sick people are the people who rely on Medicare the most, not low wage earners. If you're going to give Medicare away early to people who need it most, why not base that on actual need instead of an income proxy?

By pushing these programs further and further toward welfare, you're going to undermine support for them.

Here's what John Rother, executive VP of AARP says about the subject:

Quote:

...Social Security and Medicare are not welfare programs. They are earned benefits that older Americans have contributed to over decades of hard work...

A means test for their earned benefits would erode the popular support that has sustained these programs and made them so effective in helping older households. Making Social Security more like welfare would surely lead to weaker benefits — and a growing burden on young people to support struggling elders....

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“The American people are tired of liars and people who pretend to be something they’re not.” - Hillary Clinton